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Thursday, 26 July 2012

Such a powerfulwoman
character as in the book "On Upper Maslovka" (Maslovka is the name of the street in Moscow) is very rare, it is created probably once every ten years.

The main character
is an old woman, a sculptor. She is a personality of a global scale. She is
ninety, and is still full of creative ideas and great vitality, in her youth
she mixed with Bourdelle, Modgliani,
Zadkine and other outstanding artists.She is completely
disconnected from material things - it does not matter what's for dinner, as
long as there is something; her housekeeper is stealing - well, everyone lives
as he may; she is ordered to wear a clean gown – she would wear it, but would
grumble at the cult of clothing. The main thing in her life is work and only work,
so many images are crowded in the brain, and time is needed to translate them
into the clay, to revive, to humanize. Her hand is reliable, her eye is sharp
as before, the most important is to gain time!

However, her alienation is
sometimes difficult for others. She needs orthopedic shoes, but for some reason
there is nothing left from her pension and royalties. A true knight of the old
lady, the literary critic, Petya, her right hand, a man solving a lot of
domestic problems, manages to borrow money, make a little bit of washing and boil
the potatoes. He even gets an ironic remark for hisefforts: “Petya is neat like a spinster."
But the great power of truth, coming from a Woman-Creator draws him, makes it
possible to ignore her antics and even tolerate the fact that she almost closed
his way into the literary magazine by her inappropriate phone call.

Truth and Creativity are the main
characters in this book, which is one of the top of Dina Rubina’s works.

There is, an uncharacteristic for Dina Rubina, way to speak about herself in
the third person.The image of
the translator, Nina, - dark skin, black hair, a creative profession, the ability
to resist those who try to behave arrogantly in the hope that intellectuals
would keep silent - reminds very much the writer. She is not the main
protagonist, but she holds up several storylines. The author of this novel for
the first time tried to have a disengaged look at herself and she succeeded.

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

"Firestarter" is a novel about a
little girl who has the
ability of pyrokinesis, which
is the ability to light or control fire with the mind. The book is written in
the genre of mystical thriller with elements of paranoia drama. Andy McGee and
his daughter, Charlie, are in the center of the story. Andy had once taken part
in a crazy scientist's experiment where for two hundred bucks he agreed to take
the drug with an unusual name. As a result of experiments, Andy was able to
manipulate others by controlling their minds. During the experiment, Andy met a girl named
Vicki, who later became his wife and gave birth to Charlie who soon impressed
the parents by her strong ability of pyrokinesis.

Charlie from an early age was instilled fear of her unusual gift and as a
result, the girl was afraid to hurt someone. At the same time her ability absorbed
her, Charlie enjoyed using the gift. Her ability became stronger every time she
torched something. The kid got acquainted with the feeling of guilt from the
first years of life, which influenced greatly her perception of the world. She
had quite a high intellect for her seven years; moreover, her ability of
pyrokinesis was accompanied by a supernatural intuition.

The relationship between Andy and Charlie is remarkable. Andy loved his
daughter into oblivion, going to extreme measures, desperately trying to
protect her. However, upon reading the book you get the impression that Charlie
knew very well that it was rather her powerful gift which was able to protect
the father. She did not use her power, apparently, only out of fear that her
father would not forgive her.

And yet, when the force within her reached the boiling point, Charlie let
herself go and made a real firestorm. In this way she took revenge on those who
broke the life of her father and freed herself.

A lot of questions hang in the air after reading the book, the foremost among
them is “what happened next?” However, there is no answer to this question, the
reader can only speculate on that.

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

Good manga for girls 14+

Manga Xxxholic is
one of the projects of the famous studio CLAMP, staffed by female artists. What
differentiates CLAMP’s works from the others? The worlds illustrated by them are more or less related. This feature is
manifested most clearly in Xxxholic and Tsubasa Chronicle.

XxxHolic and Tsubasa Chronicle have completely different
plots, which are linked by some common characters. Organic integration of the
same storylines in both works, palpable connection between them even if they
deal with completely different events, close interweaving of the characters and
destinies, all this makes us to admire the boundless imagination of the
creators.

One of the common characters of XxxHolic and Tsubasa Chronicle is Itihara Yuuko,
a witch of measurements and an owner of a shop of desires. To make a more or less
complete picture of Yuuko, it is better to read both mangas, as each manga is
only one aspect of the events. However, Yuuko in Xxxholic is one of the main
characters and her image is revealed a lot better than in Tsubasa Chronicle.

Yuuko-san, as she is called by the schoolboy Watanuki, is a young eccentric
(seemingly anyway) woman who knows magic. Among other things, Yuuko manages the
store of desires where Watanuki works. The shop is a small building, which can be
accessed only by those who desire for something passionately. Yuuko helps
people to attain the desired for the rewards in form of artifacts or some services.

The witch is very sharp-tongued which her favorite Watanuki. Despite the constant
ridicule from her part, Yuuko is bound infinitely
to her young employee. She teaches him gradually not only magic, but also other
important things. Development of Yuuko’s character is slow and hardly
noticeable to the reader, however, in the last volume she is not quite the same
sarcastic, drunken, always eager for entertainment witch. There are in her
character, oddly enough, more and more secrets, some of them still remain
uncovered. The more Yuuko opens the more she becomes mysterious. Also the
tragedy of her fate appears, and some romance becomes noticeable.

Unfortunately, the manga Xxxholic, as well as Tsubasa Chronicle, has not yet
ended. Admirers can only hope that the creators come up with an ending not less
great than the story itself.

Monday, 23 July 2012

One writer said:
"The thoughts, ideas, and even more the story are exactly what interests me least of all in the literature. What is dear to
me in the literature is the side which is out of analysis - voice range,
flavor, color and phonetic structure, in general, what we usually call
an inexplicable attraction".

I think the first book of Marc Levy "Just like Heaven" would not
attract the attention of the above writer, because there's little of
"inexplicable attraction" in it; however there's an interesting story
line.

It is a book about a girl, Lauren, who worked hard in the hospital. As it is
common among doctors, she worked for 24 hours and went home dying from fatigue.
Sorry for the digression, but I can not understand why doctors exhaust
themselves so much, why health professionals work so "unhealthily"?
Can anyone explain this?

Returning to the book, Lauren had an accident ... and turned into a ghost: her
body sank into a deep coma, and the soul wandered around as it pleased,
without stint or restraint.Meanwhile, her apartment
was rented to a young architect, Arthur, and the most surprising - he was able
to see this beautiful ghost and chat with Lauren-ghost! Only he was able to
help her, because no one else could see her.

It is an amazing
love story that Steven Spielberg filmed. What else can be
sayid? True love rescues even
in such unusual circumstances. Not everyone is able to love like that!

They say the
image of a woman presented in modern literature, is far from
the images of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet. Is this so? I think it is not. Time has changed, I would say the decor has
changed, but, in fact, the strength of the character and the challenge to
society have remained the same. What do you think? Who from the modern
literature may compete with Jane Eyre?

Let’s take, for example, the main characters of the novel "Expose" by
Laura Van Wormer. There are three different women. Verity Rhodes
is a successful publisher of the best American glossy magazine, which is going
to publish materials about Cassy Cochran, president of the Darenbrook Broadcasting
System. Verity Rhodes has a hidden agenda and wants Sally Harrington,
principal heroine of the book, to play her game. Sally is the most interesting character
- a young journalist from the province, who by mere chance finds herself in the
center of mass-media life in New York.
She gets a chance to become famous and make a brilliant career just by
profiling Cassy. And of course, Sally is not going to miss the chance. It appears in the process that her way lays through
hardship to the stars. Dirty secrets, envy, jealousy and murder wait for Sally on
the road to success. And, as it happens always in novels, happiness and success
will come from an entirely unexpected source.

Sally Harrington is a simple girl, charming in her simple, at first glance,
feelings. It is clearly shown how she makes choices between unfair and right, appropriate
and inappropriate, passion and habit. The characters as Sally Harrington,
imperfect and due to that even more attractive, that modern readers might like.

The entire narrative is permeated with the main motif - any woman can achieve the
heights, only the higher you climb the harder you fall, and be ready to be
tripped up cruelly. The book shows that any, even the most ordinary woman can become
successful and loved. Just give a little bit of try and happiness will glide like
a bird in your hands.

Sunday, 22 July 2012

Taisha Abelar is a magician of a new generation and
belongs to the party of the last nagual, Carlos Castaneda, whom Times called "an enigma wrapped in a mystery". (Carlos Castaneda is an author of books that
describe a teaching of Toltec shamans)

From a practical point of view, the book of Taisha Abelar
is better than the whole Castaneda’s saga about the party of the nagual, Don
Juan. The thing is that Don Juan is too powerful and eccentric, he makes people
to lose their minds, so to speak, and he does it directly from Castaneda's books. His vocabulary is complex and expressive, his actions are full
of drama, his energy feels coming down in torrents. Communicating with Don Juan
is not so safe, even if it is through the book. Impressible persons ran to smoke Mescalito, or, with a completely
brain-washed face, announce themselves as "warriors", or immediately
identify themselves as naguals and begin to form parties of “seers”.

The explanations of Taisha Abelar are simple and
straightforward. Everything that Castaneda fit into multiple volumes you will
find in her book. She is more practical. Magic tricks, exercises helping to achieve health, beauty and energy release are,
in many ways, similar to those taught by daoists. It is simple – do this and
that and you will find happiness. May be I found Taisha more understandable,
because she was taught a women way. Her companion, Florinda Donner, said
that women are closer to the “knowledge” due to the following difference
between men and women: "While men are
building their understanding in words, women are creating their understanding
with their lives. Both methods are equally effective, but each of them
corresponds to their way of life. In terms of energy, a man connected with the
knowledge by something like a cone, and he moves to the knowledge step by step.
In terms of physics, this can be described as rays of light, and men are moving
in the direction of its source, but never reach it. For women it is
different, because for them the cone is upside down".

Four shamans from the party of Don Juan (Nelida,
Clara, Emilito and Don Juan himself) taught Taisha different techniques. It is
very interesting to read Taisha’s view on the same people (or rather the super-humans),
which Castaneda described earlier in his works.

The book is very interesting and inspiring as Taisha’s
message to people: "We constantly hear from people - if only I was a member of
your group, then I could do this or that. But they do not realize that the
place, where you are, is something with which you need to start."

Friday, 20 July 2012

"Carrie"
by Stephen King is one of his works where the story revolves around teenagers.

Carrie White lives with her mother-schizophrenic, a fanatical believer, who thinks that her daughter is a devil incarnate.
Her life in school is far from being good, classmates mock at her in every possible
way, and she can not respond to them. For a time no one suspects what a terrible
power lays dormant inside this rejected by all, untidy girl, no one except her
mother, who, in spite of her madness, feels Carrie’s strangeness and fears her.

King portrayed masterfully the inner world of a teenage girl, who has no
friends and normal family. Carrie continues to be abject and fearful even after
she learns about her gift of telekinesis. She begins to thaw just after she is
invited to the prom. However, a few kind words are not enough when you are
hated throughout the life. Carrie, feeling that she can live a better life, no
longer is able to return to her past. So when the bullying continues, she tries
to defend herself, she has already changed. The only thing her powers now are
much greater than those of an ordinary man, which she demonstrates in the book.

In addition to the main character in the novel, there are other interesting
characters, among them, Sue Snell, a classmate of Carrie. She is a slightly
exaggerated example of a person tormented by guilt. Unlike many others, she
later regrets her behavior, and this is the cause of her suffering. Here,
however, the question arises: what is better - to live with the guilt, or have
a horrible death, until the last minute thinking you are on the right path?

Thursday, 19 July 2012

We know the works of John Galsworthy.
But it is perhaps only to "The Forsyte Saga". Meanwhile, the closing
cycle of the Forsyte chronicles “The end of the chapter” stays in a shadow. The
cycle includes three novels: “Maid in Waiting”, “Flowering
Wilderness”, “One
More River”.

“Maid in
Waiting” is a story of the struggle, elegant, but full of Dinny
Cherrell’s desire to not let her family be insulted and to restore the
reputation of her brother Hubert. Mr. Hallorsen, an American Professor, invites
Hubert to an expedition to Latin America and then
actually leaves all the things to no one but Hubert.

Hubert, though a former military
officer, is a very humane man, when he sees the muleteers torture mules, he first
makes a remark to the most negligent one, then he flogs him, and when finally
the muleteer attacks him, Hubert cannot restrain himself and kills the villain.
Hubert faces trial and imprisonment; unless it is proved that he acted within
the limits of self-defense. Hubert himself is in depression, so two brave girls
take up the struggle: Dinny, his sister, who decides to publish and present Hubert’s
diary to the society, and the bride, Jean Tasburgh, who is ready for everything, even to steal the
fiancé and take him away to another country.

Then Professor Hallorsen arrives from
the United States to England,
unaware that his statements set Hubert up. Mr. Holorsen arrives and… falls in
love with Dinny! And she does not want that the Professor testify and save her
brother just because he loves her, she seeks the uncompromising English truth.

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Tamaoki Benkyo
remained true to himself while creating this one-volume manga. Working in the
horror genre, the author followed a realistic trend in the graphics that is why
the scenes of violence and blood are impressive. What makes this manga
distinctive is the atmosphere of all shades of madness correctly embodied by
the creator.

The main heroine of the manga is a girl named Saya. She is the secret weapon of
the state secret organization that tries to eliminate the consequences of their
own experiments on human beings. The creatures, which appeared as a result of
these experiments, are forced to feed themselves with human blood. Saya’s
mission is to kill them. The girl herself has no idea who she actually is. As the
events unfold Saya learns of the existence of a girl, an exact picture of
herself, and finally meets her face to face.

Despite the fact that Saya looks like a schoolgirl, she perfectly masters katana
and is quite dangerous. It is almost impossible to kill her since she is not a
human being. However, Saya is a docile instrument in the hands of her commanders,
at least until the moment when she discovers the truth about herself.

The second main character of Blood: The Last Vampire 2000 is Maya, which is a
replica of Saya. However, they are only superficially similar. Maya runs a gang
of vampires, those creatures born from experiments. The aim of Maya is to meet
with Saya that is why Maya organizes a variety of provocations. This character
bears all sorts of vices, which was clearly illustrated in the pages of the
manga. Maya, in a sense, is even more interesting than Saya as her motives are
hidden until the very last chapter.

A lot is written
about Shakespeare's Juliet, and a drop in the sea will be our short reflection.

The destiny of a
woman is to love and to be loved. For centuries, this statement was above all other views about women. But it was impossible even to think that woman could love freely. Only
well-established norms, customs and traditions dictated their will to lovers. Juliet's
rebellion is a great affirmation of a free love.

The spiritual path of the girl from her acquaintance with Romeo until her
sacrifices to the true passion is astonishing. In the exposition of the play
she is a naive child, the embodiment of gentleness and ignorance of life. The
story of her personal growth is a gradual understanding of the reality of love,
getting more profound with every step of the play. In the final of the tragedy,
Juliet is a devotee of a feeling superior to the force of the life itself.

How many sacrifices has the heroine made in the comprehension of love? Not just a lot. She
donated all that connected her with the mundane world: she repudiated her
family, refused the way of life, which she grew up with, she was willing to risk
death by drinking the love potion, finally, she followed the beloved without
hesitation, without accepting a different path.

Did Juliet know
that tragic course of events might follow? She did. Her monologue at the end of
the fourth act is filled with horror and shows the power of courage.

Maturity of
Juliet is a much more profound phenomenon than the love of Romeo. While he
talks about himself, using the image of a pupil, Juliet worries about an
impending danger for Romeo in the Capulet estate. Finally, the words that
predetermine the course of events belong to her:

"Fain would I dwell
on form, fain, fain deny

What I have spoke: but farewell compliment!
Dost thou love me? ".

The image of
Juliet is like a beacon in the world literature. “Love is above death” is a
truth carried on by generations of writers.

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Today I will talk about a book Douglas Kennedy "A Special Relationship" which is full of
women characters: tragic and comic, suffering and relentless.

The main character is a Boston journalist, Sally Goodchild, who
meets a London
journalist, Tony Thompson, during their business trip. Neither he nor she looks
seriously at their relationship, however when Tony is transferred to London, he offers Sally to join him and try to find a job
in the London
press. As for Sally, she informs him gleefully that she is pregnant. This is, we can say,
her last chance - she is thirty seven years old and she is determined to give birth.
Tony is delighted, and offers her a marriage.

“So what is interesting in all that?” you might
ask. Uh, the story just begins! Tony and Sally buy a small but nice apartment in
London, and
then it turns out that Sally needs to be hospitalized for several weeks before the
childbirth. This is just after her transfer to the London office of the newspaper! The chief is
not happy, and Sally realizes that she is out of job. Tony does not behave like
a man; he panics, but tries to hold on.

A rich friend, Margaret, is the only Sally's friend in London (except for the neighbor, Julie) pays
her a private room in the hospital. Sally realizes that it is not a desire to
boast, but a kind gesture. But Tony revolts and Sally, with the struggle, persuades
him to accept this gift.

The childbirth runs hard. Doctors do not say
anything definite, but believe that there might be an oxygen deficiency which
affects the brain of the baby. Cesarean operation. Sally suffers from pain.
Coldish nurses and authoritarian doctor say nothing definite confining themselves
to phrases "We hope" ,"One can assume that everything is fine
..." What woman would not have fallen into a panic in such a situation?
And the doctors try to feed her with the maximum amount of sedation which she refuses.

She is allowed to go home, but a little Jack (that
is how the father called the child without the consent of the mother) is still
in the hospital. Sally realizes that something is wrong with her: she is tired
of worrying, dulled, and her maternal instinct is weakened.

The entire care of the baby, when the baby is moved back home, falls on the
shoulders of the tired Sally, and Tony writes a novel. In fact, he acts
dishonorably! When Sally leaves for three days to attend the funeral of her
ex-husband, Tony, backed by different evidences and the fact that Sally, three
weeks after the birth, was in the hospital due to her depression, gets a court
permission to stay with the child. He leaves with the baby.

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

"Shewascarryingrepulsive, alarmingyellowflowers." In
this unexpected way begins the
acquaintance with Margarita, the key character of this novel. These spring
flowers represented ugliness contrasting with her beauty to the Master.

I am not a
Bulgakovphile and so much has been said about the book, that all I can do is to
present a summary of events and opinions. I can also add my little voice to the
one of The London Times, who called “The Master and Margarita” one of the most
brilliant works of the 20th century. It is difficult to determine what the
genre of the novel is. It is a satire, mystery, romance and philosophical
parable.

This is the story
of how the devil appeared in the post-revolutionary Moscow. The devil introduces himself to
people as Professor Woland and he is accompanied by his charming retinue (whatever
comes from the devil must be charming). All people who got in contact with
Woland and his companions receive punishment for their big and little sins.

The Soviet government
does an excellent job for the devil - Moscow
of thirties is a place where people do not believe neither in Devil nor in God.
In Moscow,
however, lives a man, the Master, who wrote a book about the last days of Yeshua
(the prototype of which is Jesus Christ) and a Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate,
the one who sent Joshua to the execution. The Master burned the novel about
Joshua and Pontius Pilate and now resides in a psychiatric clinic.

Margarita, wife
of a “known” engineer, Master's mistress, who lost track of him after he got
into a mad house, wants only one thing, which is to find and return the Master.
Azazello (retinue of Woland) gives hopes to Margarita but for that she must
fulfill a service to Woland. Margarita agrees, not immediately though, and
becomes acquainted with Woland and his entire entourage. Woland asks her to
become a queen of the ball, which he gives in the night from Friday to Saturday
(Good Friday). The guests at the ball are not just sinners; they are only true,
ideological villains.

Another storyline
of the novel, which develops in parallel, is the novel about Pontius Pilate, the
one that was written by the Master. It tells the story of Pontius Pilate, who
did not dare to speak out against the Sanhedrim (Council) and was not able to
save Yeshua.

"Shewascarryingrepulsive, alarmingyellowflowers." In
this unexpected way begins the
acquaintance with Margarita, the key character of this novel. These spring
flowers represented ugliness contrasting with her beauty to the Master.

I am not a
Bulgakovphile and so much has been said about the book, that all I can do is to
present a summary of events and opinions. I can also add my little voice to the
one of The London Times, who called “The Master and Margarita” one of the most
brilliant works of the 20th century. It is difficult to determine what the
genre of the novel is. It is a satire, mystery, romance and philosophical
parable.

This is the story
of how the devil appeared in the post-revolutionary Moscow. The devil introduces himself to
people as Professor Woland and he is accompanied by his charming retinue (whatever
comes from the devil must be charming). All people who got in contact with
Woland and his companions receive punishment for their big and little sins.

The Soviet government
does an excellent job for the devil - Moscow
of thirties is a place where people do not believe neither in Devil nor in God.
In Moscow,
however, lives a man, the Master, who wrote a book about the last days of Yeshua
(the prototype of which is Jesus Christ) and a Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate,
the one who sent Joshua to the execution. The Master burned the novel about
Joshua and Pontius Pilate and now resides in a psychiatric clinic.

Margarita, wife
of a “known” engineer, Master's mistress, who lost track of him after he got
into a mad house, wants only one thing, which is to find and return the Master.
Azazello (retinue of Woland) gives hopes to Margarita but for that she must
fulfill a service to Woland. Margarita agrees, not immediately though, and
becomes acquainted with Woland and his entire entourage. Woland asks her to
become a queen of the ball, which he gives in the night from Friday to Saturday
(Good Friday). The guests at the ball are not just sinners; they are only true,
ideological villains.

Another storyline
of the novel, which develops in parallel, is the novel about Pontius Pilate, the
one that was written by the Master. It tells the story of Pontius Pilate, who
did not dare to speak out against the Sanhedrim (Council) and was not able to
save Yeshua.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

”SeacrowIsland” written by Astrid Lindgren first as TV series and later on issued
as a novel is one of the most famous of her books.

It is a story of
how one Swedish family spends its summer holidays on the Seacrow Island.
The family consists of the dad, Melker Melkersson, his eldest daughter, Malin, and three sons:
Johan, Niklas and Pelle. Melkerssons got acquainted with many people in the island
and most of which eventually become their good friends.

"Seacrow Island” is so full of very well described heroes
and characters that you begin to think they exist in reality.

As for the female characters in the book, they are so bright that it is not
possible to stay silent. You should start, of course with Tjorven since she is one of the main personages. Tjorvenis like a fairy of the Seacrow island, she meets and sees off the ferry
with the passengers in all weather conditions, and a huge dog Boatswain makes
her image even slightly mystical. Tjorven is the favorite of the whole island, she is
welcomed by everyone and she comes and goes whenever he wants. Without Tjorven the Seacrow island would not have been
the place that everyone loves. A girl is, in a sense, a symbol of the island.

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Good books for girls age 10-15.

«From Anna» is a story of Jean Little,Canadian author, about the life of a
German family on the eve of the World War II.

The book is partly autobiographical, Jean Little, as well as her little
heroine, had bad eyesight, studying, at the same time, in a regular school.
Autobiographical touch is felt everywhere: in the manner of narration, in the
author's apparent sympathy for Anna, in profound and masterfully described Anna’s
inner world.

The book is built on a simple, well known and the win-win principle: sad
beginning and happy ending on Christmas night. The action takes place in Germany during
the Great Depression, in an atmosphere of general insecurity and fear for the
future, which automatically makes the story very realistic. Subsequent
emigration to Canada also looks very authentic, despite the fact that the
process of moving to Canada
is covered without much detail.

Reading about the
relationships of Anna with her father gives you the most positive emotions. Her
farther is perhaps the only one who sees the true nature of the girl. He is, without
any doubt, right when calling her "special", because the child differs
really from other children, not only by impaired vision. Anna is a very
intelligent child with a rich imagination and capacity for empathy. However,
all this can manifest only in appropriate circumstances, which are gradually
created when, finally, it becomes clear
that Anna has a very poor vision.

The child starts to see the world through
the glasses prescribed for her and over time understands better both the world
and her own personality. By the end of the book Anna transforms from an intimidated
by everyone, shy and awkward child into a gentle girl with the ability to
bestow love and tenderness on her nearest and dearest. Her family notices the changes
and discovers the new Anna.

The book "From Anna" in the literal sense offers the
side of the never experienced world. A good warm feeling remains long in
your soul after reading this good book. Buy the book "From Anna"